Idaho Elk Hunting???

[christaylor]

Im moving to the panhandle in March,Never been Elk Hunting and was woundering how it works there..

Im from Mi and here we have to put in an APP for a tag(GOOD LUCK GETTING 1) Thank you for any INFO.

Chris

 

[kcebcj]

Figure out which units or unit you want to hunt. Get on the Idaho web site and you can dig out all the relevant info for those units. Some units such as where I live are draw only and others have over the counter tags. All depends on the unit and the time of year you want to hunt. Also welcome to Idaho it's a great state to live in.

 

[christaylor]

thanx for the INFO

 

[linksmechanic]

Quality hunts in the panhandle region are getting pretty rare. Your better off trying to draw for better areas.

 

[christaylor]

which would be the best areas?? can you buy a tag over the counter?

 

[linksmechanic]

You can at the start of the year resident or non resident.

 

[bkondeff]

Chris,

Welcome to Idaho.

First of all, as you seek advice beware of the bitter people who respond about it not being like the good old days. If you haven't hunted elk before it will be a pleasure to live in Idaho. While the Wolves are making it a lot harder all the time, there are still a lot of elk in Idaho, though not many that score over 300. But, any elk is a good elk and frankly young cows and bulls eat better anyway.

Here the system is that most regions's have some units that have ample over the counter tags. I mostly hunt SW and Central Idaho, but I believe there is plenty of opportunity up north. As long as you don't plan to apply for any of the three TROPHY species(Sheep, Goats, and Moose) then you can apply for Controlled Deer, Elk, and Antelope and if you are not successful you can buy General Deer and Elk over the counter. Antelope is draw only, unless you want to hunt with a bow. No Antelope up North either.

The biggest bummer is that you won't be considered a Resident until you have been here for 6 months, so you may want to wait until that date an then buy OTC tags as that will save you a lot of $$.

Go on the F&G website, they have good online tools for general research. Get Google Earth on your computer and start figuring out just your rugged this state is.

Once you get here simply start chatting with people, but don't expect very direct info, pleople work hard here to scout and figure out the country, but you will get some help. Then start scouting. By April, at least down south, the elk will start migrating back to Summer Range then you can start to scout when the snow recedes enough.

Good Luck!!

 

[linksmechanic]

I hope I didn't sound bitter. I was simply stating a fact. Like you said bulls rarely go over 300 in the panhandle. You kinda contradicted yourself by stating "beware of bitter people that say hunting here is not like the old days". So it's a fact that hunting here is not like it used to be because there was several bulls that would go over 300 and most of the time you could get to them within 2 miles of a road. Your right any elk is good but shooting a nice bull every year is and was better. Besides shooting calf's isn't gonna help the population. Theres plenty of elk in the panhandle just not alot of quality ones.

 

[kcebcj]

I agree with linksmechanic about the quality of elk hunting on the majority of Idaho public lands compared to now and even as short as 10 years ago. It's most definitely not what is used to be and with the intrusion of the wolf packs probably never will be. With all that said there are still lots of elk but if you are looking for "300" or better bulls you will have your work cut out. We have some good bulls here in west central Idaho mainly because of all the private land along the Snake river which we keep locked up. If you just want to take an elk and your not picky most every where there is opportunity but if a good bull your after and all you have is public land I would head for one of the wilderness units without hesitation.

 

[christaylor]

Thank you for all the INFO guys,sounds like it will be alot like deer hunting here..

 

[jdmag]

I would like to add a question to this post. How is the hunting around Stanley and Challis? I may have the opportunity to go there this year, and don't know whether to go for Elk or Mule deer. I am on a limited budget and don't know if I can afford both tags. What is your opinion?
Thanks

 

[kcebcj]

Well I'm not going to give you too much of what I know but the hunting in reference to Stanley is really weather dependant. Have not spent much time around Challis other than to the west above the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, so will not comment on that area. The Sawtooth Wilderness to the southwest of Stanley is good hunting for both bucks and bulls mainly in the areas where the south fork of the Payette river headwaters on the east side and the north fork of the Boise river and the Queens river headwaters on the west. There are trail heads both on the Payette side and the Queens river side. Horses are really helpful but it can be backpacked. Once it starts snowing the animals start to move. They migrate a long ways so it does not take a lot of weather to get them going. Those animals migrate pretty much going west and southwest but there are three distinct routes which I will keep to myself but if the weather is crappy they will be moving and all you have to do is catch up to them.

Pick the unit (35, 36, 39) to hunt carefully depending on when you want to hunt. The weather will really screw you up. 35 is a good unit as a lot of animals move that way with bad weather. If you don't have access to horses and you are going to backpack that country my advice would be to just get a mule deer tag. Back packing a elk out of there would be no fun!……..have fun.

 

[christaylor]

Thanx again guys, i went to my peoperty last week and loved all the Elk sign!!!! The other guy that lives on my road said theres about 60 in my field every day... I saw 2 smaller bulls and a bunch of cows,but nothing big. I also saw a hole munch of turkey and some whitetail deer. anywho ill let ya guys know if i have any luck.

 

[7mm Magnum]

Im moving to the panhandle in March,Never been Elk Hunting and was woundering how it works there..

Im from Mi and here we have to put in an APP for a tag(GOOD LUCK GETTING 1) Thank you for any INFO.

Chris

Boy Chris,.. you just aren't whistling Dixie with that GOOD LUCK statement !!


I too am still a Michigan resident,, been trying to draw a elk tag HERE since they started the thing,... Nada'! I'm still waiting.

Hence the reason I go elsewhere and Idaho IS one of the few places out West I do hunt. Both times I hit the Clearwater 10-A area,... they are there but you just have to catch up with them and be in the right place at the right time.

It's a beautiful state you have moved to, and if you pull out a map of your new home state and find a town called Orifino and follow the Dwarshack up to the area it forks there is a bridge that crosses the one branch called the Granddad Bridge. I hunt right in those areas surrounding that bridge. The Armstrong Butte and Saddle areas to name a couple. Heck just about anywhere in that section of Idaho your going to be finding wapiti.

Good luck to you ,...